Allenspark and Estes Park are open for business, but they're not easy to get to.

"We're completely open and doing weddings," said Denice Kristoffersen, who owns Wild Basin Lodge with her husband, Nils.

She said she and her husband haven't spoken with every one of the couple of hundred people who make up the small mountain community of Allenspark, off Colo. Highway 7 up the South St. Vrain Canyon above Lyons. But the lodge is having no issues with water, or its septic tank, or electricity.

"All of the people we've talked to -- about 50 to 75 people -- everybody's fine," Kristoffersen said.

But it does require some work to get there. To get to Colo. Highway 72, which will take you to Allenspark via Colo. 7, the only way to get there staying on paved roads the whole way is to go all the way around to the south and take Colo. Highway 119 up through Black Hawk and then Nederland.

For anyone who had planned on a mountain wedding in Estes Park, Wild Basin is happy to take over their business, Kristoffersen said.

Other than Trail Ridge Road, which comes into Estes Park from the west through Rocky Mountain National Park and likely will soon be closed due to weather, two of the three routes into the town from the east are closed. U.S. highways 36 and 34 both were heavily damaged in the flood of 2013.

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"Those roads basically don't exist anymore," said Adam Shake, an Estes Park businessman who is on the boards of directors for Visit Estes Park and the Estes Valley Partners for Commerce.

Shake said the only route into Estes Park is via Colo. 7, which is down to one lane in some spots. Residents of the town are being allowed in, but the contractors and repairmen likely will outnumber the tourists for the foreseeable future.

Most businesses are open or getting ready to open, Shake said, and spirits are high despite the town not being able to cater to the Front Range tourists who normally would be flocking there this time of year to hear the elk bugling.

"We've got a slogan here in Estes Park called 'mountain strong,'" said Shake. "We're looking forward to welcoming visitors back as soon as possible."

An Oktoberfest-style festival scheduled for this weekend has been canceled, but Shake said Tuesday that there hadn't been a decision made yet on the town's annual Elk Fest, which is scheduled for Sept. 28 and 29.

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